1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a diet device and more specifically to a placemat which records all of an individual's intake of substances with information concerning the substances such as calories and a method to control said intake.
2. Prior Art
Many people are presently struggling with various diet restrictions and diet requirements. Intake of foods, drugs, alcohol and the like is very easy to forget about and even if the substance is recalled the amount consumed is unknown. There is also too strong an emphasis on the part of the participant and the diet method on the particular forbidden substance. Writing things down is too prone to cheating. Merely counting by any means leads to cheating in the amounts and most totalyzing means are cumbersome or subject to procrastination. The average American eats out at least three times a week and it can be used as an excuse to get off the diet. When the diet requires an unpleasant-looking cumbersome kitchen device its easy to see why its left at home. Simple kitchen scales are therefore not used commonly for this. Besides the above disadvantages there has been no easy-to-use way to passively record intake of food and the like. Instead of requiring any special behavior its useful to have a method which uses our present behavior--i.e. eating from plates, bowls etc, which are on a surface. A placemat which is portable is an ideal way to influence a control method on our eating, drinking etc. behavior. Special behavioral techniques using positive reenforcement for the increase in allowable food can be applied appropriately when a truly complete measurement method is being employed. Disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa may well respond better to methods of mere recording for the user without the problem of overemphasis any written account has.
People under nursing care often do not eat properly and a more automated method may better influence better eating for patients. There is no prior art found which passively records and/or controls intake of food and other substances.